This invention relates to a tape cassette-ejecting device for a magnetic tape apparatus such as a tape recorder and tape reproducing device.
The above-mentioned type of tape cassette-ejecting device is generally provided with safety means which prevents a tape cassette from being ejected by error while a magnetic head still contacts a magnetic tape received in the cassette.
There will now be described by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 the construction and operation of the prior art tape cassette-ejecting apparatus. Referential numeral 1 denotes a supporting plate on which a magnetic head 2 is mounted. Referential numeral 3 shows an eject lever. The magnetic head-supporting plate 1 is so set on a substrate 4 as to slide parallel therewith. Upon depression of a push button, the magnetic head-supporting plate 1 begins to slide, causing the magnetic head 2 to be inserted into a cassette holder, brought into contact with a magnetic tape received in the cassette or removed from said tape. The eject lever 3 is pivoted to the surface of the substrate 4 so as to be rotated in a vertical direction upon depression of an eject control button 6, thereby pushing up a tape cassette 5 from below. A stopper 3a is projectively mounted on the lateral wall of the eject lever 3. While the magnetic head 2 is in contact with the magnetic tape, the magnetic head-supporting plate 1 brought above the stopper 3a prevents the vertical rotation of the eject lever 3. While, therefore, the magnetic head 2 touches a magnetic tape, the eject control button 6 cannot be depressed, thereby preventing a tape cassette 5 from being ejected by error.
However, the prior art tape cassette-ejecting apparatus has the drawback that since the magnetic head-supporting plate 1 lies above the stopper 3a of the eject lever 3, an erroneous depression of an eject control button 6 under such condition causes a depression force to be applied to the magnetic head-supporting plate 1, leading to the possibility of said supporting plate 1 or the stopper 3a of the eject lever 3 being deformed or damaged. This undesirable event raises a more important problem, because the recent miniaturization of a tape recorder demands a magnetic head-supporting plate and stopper to be made as small and thin as possible.